Cotton-press



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J. LITTLE.

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Illu!!! No' '553,924.. ZW 1l 'UNITED STATES 4` PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES LITTLE, OF EVANSVILLE, INDIANA.

COTTON-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION formingl part of Letters Patent No. 553,924, datedFebruary 4, 1896. Application filed July 27,1894,l Serial No. 518,739.(No model.)

To all whom, it may concern: v

Be it known that I, JAMES LITTLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Evansville, in the county of Vanderburg and State ofIndiana, have invented a new and useful Cotton- Press, of which thefollowing is a speciiication.

My invention relates to improvements in cotton-compresses, and it hasfor its object to provide a simple, efficient, and durable device forcompressing cotton in iiat or layer bales, the table or support for thebale being mounted for automatic adjustment upon a reciprocatorycarrier, from which is derived the power for operating thecompressingrolls.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in thefollowing description, and the novel features thereof will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In thedrawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a press embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3is a detail view of one of the clutches for connecting the power-gearsto the rolls. Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken parallel with theaxis of one of the compressing-rolls.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

l designates the supporting -framework, which is substantiallyrectangular in form, and2 represents a reciprocatory carrier iittedslidably therein and having a bottom plate 3 and parallel side platesLl, which are equal in height to the interior of the framework. Thiscarrier is provided at its center with a box 5, in which is slidablyfitted for vertical movement the stem 6 of the table or support S, saidtable or support being equal in width to the interval between the innersurfaces of the side plates of the carrier, whereby it is guided by saidplates. The box 5 is provided with a movable side plate 9, held in placeand secured to the body portion of the box by means of set-screws 19,and this plate 9 acts in the capacity of a pressure or friction plate,

v which may be adjusted by means of the said is caused to recede thatthe desired compression of the bale is attained.

The above-described means for controlling the resistance of the table tothe re-pressing force of the compressing-rolls provides for an evenresistance throughout the movement of the table and avoids a varyingresistance as the table recedes. Furthermore, the means for controllingthe resistance of the table are compactly arranged within the carrierand are unaiected by the reciprocation of the carrier, and no specialconstruction of framework is necessary when this arrangement of tensionis employed. It is obvious that weights connected to the receding tableor support to control the compression of a bale cannot be arranged inthe compact form possible with the above-described device, and inaddition thereto they increase the weight of the carrier withoutreference to meanswhich must be employed for preventing the weights fromswinging during the reciprocation of the carrier. The improved means forcontrolling the resistance of the table d0 not add materially to theweight of the carrier and they occupy space which cannot otherwise beutilized, and in addition to these advantages it will be obvious thatthe device may be constructed at a small cost, and new frictionplates,necessitated by wear after prolonged use, may be applied with a smalloutlay.

Mounted rotatably in suitable bearings in the side walls of theframework are the spindles 10 of the pressure-rolls 1l, said spindlesbeing extended beyond one side of the framework and being provided withintermeshing spur-gears 12, whereby motion is communicated from eitherroll to the other, and mounted loosely upon said spindles between theends of the rolls and adjacent walls of the framework are thepower-gears 13, which are connected to the spindles by means of clutches14e. The clutches are so arranged as to engage and communicate motion tothe spindles of the rolls only when turned inward, or in the directionindicated by the arrows in Fig. f3, and to slip idly when turned in theopposite direction. The carrier is provided at the upper edges of itsside plates with racks 15, which mesh, respectively, with saidpowergears.

Therefore when the carrier is reciprocated by means provided for thatpurpose and through the bar 16 which is connected to said carrier themotion is commun icated through the racks to the power-gears, wherebythe latter are turned alternately in opposite directions; but as thepower-gears communicate motion to the rolls only when rotated inward orin one direction, and as the rolls are geared together so as to turnsimultaneously in opposite directions, it will be seen that the rollsturn continuously in one direction, and thus draw the cotton downwardbetween their contiguous inner sides and fold or lap it regularly uponthe upper surface of the table or support, as shown in Fig. :2. Thecotton is conveyed from the cotton-gin not shown) by means of an endlessapron 1T or similar device. (Shown in Fig. 2.)

Arranged upon opposite sides of the compressing-rolls and paralleltherewith are the auxiliary pressing-rolls 18,which are arranged withtheir lower sides in the same horizontal plane with the lower sides ofthe compressingrolls 11, and which bear continuously upon the uppersurface 0f the bale as it is formed. These auxiliary rolls prevent thedisplacement of the folds of the cotton as it is applied by engaging thelatter as it is fed between the compressing-rolls and holding it inposition during the movements of the carrier.

It will be understood that various changes in the form, proportion, andminor details of construction may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a cotton-press,the combination with feeding and compressing rolls mounted in fixedbearings, and means for operating the same, of a table or support forthe bale, mounted for movement toward and from the plane of thecompressing-rolls and adapted to be moved from the same by the pressureapplied to a bale during compression, saidpressure being caused by thesuccessive introduction of layers between the compressing-rolls and thecontiguous side of the partiallyformed bale, and an adjustable frictiondevice arranged in contact with the table or support and capable ofmovement toward and from the path of movement thereof to vary theresistance offered by the table to movement from the compressing-rolls,and thereby vary the amount of compression of the bale, substantially asspecified.

2. In a cotton-compress, the combination with a supporting-framework, areciprocatory carrier mounted therein, feeding and compressing rollsmounted in bearings on the framework and means for operating the same,of a table or support mounted upon and movable with said carrier, andadjustable means arranged in frictional contact with the table orsupport, to resist the depression of the same, substantially asspecified.

3. In a cotton-compress, the combination with a supporting-framework, ofa reciprocatory carrier mounted therein and having parallel side wallssupporting parallel racks, feeding and compressing rolls mounted inbearings on the framework, means for communicating motion from the rackstothe comi pressing-rolls, a table or support mounted t forreciprocation between the planes of and guided by the side walls of thecarrier and adapted to move toward and from the plane of thecompressing-rolls, an adjustable part or member in frictional contactwith the table and adapted to be moved toward and from the path ofmovement thereof, and means for adjusting said part or member to varythe resistance offered by the table or support to the expansion of thebale carried thereby, substantially as specified.

ti. ln a cotton-compress, the combination with a supporting-framework, areciprocatory carrier, and feeding and compressing rolls and means foroperating the same, of a table or support mounted upon the carrier andhaving a stem fitting slidably in a guide or box thereon, a pressure orfriction plate in contact with said stem of the table, and means foradjusting said plate to vary its pressure upon the stem of the table,substantially as specified.

5. In a cotton-compress, the combination with a suppciting-framework, areciprocatory carrier, and feeding and compressing rolls and means foroperating-the same, of a table or support provided with a stem, a guideor box on said carrier for the reception of said stem of the table, amovable or adjustable plate forming one side of said guide or box, andmeans, consisting of set-screws, for varying the pressure of said plateupon the stem of the table, whereby the resistance offered to therepression of the table is regulated, substantially as specified.

6. In a cotton-compress, the combination of a framework, a reciprocatorycarrier slidably mounted therein, a table or support mounted upon thecarrier, compressing-rolls t mounted in bearings in the framework and lprovided with intermeshing spur-gears, powi er-gears mountedrespectively upon the spinl dles of the compressing-rolls, clutches conlnecting said power-gears to the rolls, racks IOO IIO

carried by the sliding carrier and meshing respeetively with thepower-gears, and auxiliary rolls arranged upon opposite sides of thecompressing-rolls with their lower sides in the plane of the lower sidesof the compressing-rolls, and adapted to traverse the surface Vof thebale, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

JAMES LITTLE.

IVtnesses:

ELDER COOPER, F. C. II. ARENTZ.

